Universal loader device for loading cartridges in a pistol magazine

ABSTRACT

A horizontally operated device to simplify the loading of cartridges into a pistol magazine comprises a small and easy to use loader without any moving parts, convenient notched griping surfaces, slide areas, and plungers designed to enter the magazine providing a space for the next cartridge to be inserted.

REFERENCES CITED [REFERENCED BY]

U.S. Patent Documents 4,413,437 November 1983 Anderson 4,452,002 June1984 Musgrave 4,464,855 August 1984 Musgrave 4,689,909 September 1987Howard 4,827,651 May 1989 Conkey 4,829,693 May 1989 Holmes 4,993,180February 1991 Upchurch 5,129,173 July 1992 Kuykendall 5,301,449 April1994 Jackson 5,355,606 October 1994 Origoni 5,402,592 April 1995 Switzer6,178,683 January 2001 Williams 6,219,953 April 2001 Bently 6,286,243September 2001 Hinton 6,678,985 January 2004 Pikula 6,817,134 November2004 Newman 2007/0017140 January 2007 Pikielny

Foreign Patent Documents 304379 November 1921 DE 693501 November 1930 FR555367 August 1943 FR

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to pistols, expressly a device forloading cartridges in a pistol magazine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A magazine is a device to store cartridges in an organized stackedmanner for ease of delivering cartridges one at a time to a firingcamber in a pistol.

Said magazine is a rectangular shaped ridged tube with one end openwhere cartridges are manually inserted by a person and then extractedmechanically by the pistol from the said opening when the magazine is inthe handle (grip) of a pistol.

Pistols have become very popular for recreation and inserting cartridgesin a magazine is an important but time consuming part of this activity.The said pistols are used primarily at shooting ranges where theparticipants are charged a fee by the hour. Prior art does not fullyaddress this time factor, inconvenience and the cause of finger and orthumb pain in an hour or more of loading cartridges in a magazine.

Prior art for loading cartridges in a magazine is obsolete because thedesign expressly requires the loader to be operated in the verticalposition using one finger or one thumb or one hand. The spring insidethe magazine becomes more compressed as the cartridges are installed ontop of each other in the magazine requiring more and more pressure bythe person loading the magazine. One finger or one thumb or one handcannot supply enough pressure on the magazine spring to completely filla magazine with cartridges without difficulty. Prior art requires theloading device to be operated in a cumbersome, clumsy and unstablevertical position making the magazine loading process difficultparticularly when loading the last few cartridges because the magazinespring becomes more compressed. To eliminate this defect present art isdesigned for the strength of one arm with hand, fingers and thumb toslide the device horizontally toward the open end of the magazine and atthe same time the strength of the other arm with hand, fingers and thumbslide the magazine horizontally toward the loader until the loaderplunger is inside the magazine providing sufficient space for the nextcartridge.

Pistol manufacturers feature their own magazine designs. Somemanufacturers have single stack and double stack magazines creating widevariances in magazine widths. This creates a problem for prior art,especially for loaders that enclose or straddle the magazine. Prior artassumes that variances in magazine widths require a magazine loader thatis bigger, bulky, complicated, adjustable and with moving parts. Thesefeatures are not satisfactory for ease of storage, transporting andusing in an efficient manner especially for owners who are using morethan one magazine design.

Prior art of vertical standing loaders with a curved U shaped lip tohold the closed end of the magazine in place have a problem because thelower edge extension on the closed end of some magazines is on theopposite side of the magazine and will not connect. Prior art does notcomprise all the essential functions in one magazine loader design.

Present art provides the essential functions because it comprises amagazine loader designed to operate in a stable horizontal position withno moving parts, loads all sizes of magazines, compresses the magazinespring by using both arms and fingers and thumb of each hand, notcumbersome, safe, loads a magazine rapidly, no adjustments, durable,light weight, simple, thin, and small enough to fit in a shirt pocketand in small gun and cartridge carrying cases.

It is evident that present art comprises a divergent design from priorart and this will transform magazine loading because it fulfills obviousneeds that have not been satisfied with prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Several prior art pistol magazine loaders are required to provide allthe desired features needed in one pistol magazine loader design. Priorart of compressing the spring in a pistol magazine is expressly designedto be held by one hand in an awkward vertical position allowing only onefinger or one thump of the other hand to be used restricting the amountof pressure needed.

Present art invention provides all the desired features in one pistolmagazine loader comprising one pistol magazine loader designed tooperate in a stable horizontal position on a flat surface with no movingparts, compresses the magazine spring by using the strength of both armsand fingers and thumb of each hand, loads all sizes of magazines byusing multiple plungers, loads a magazine rapidly, no adjustments,durable, light weight, thin, not cumbersome, safe, simple, easy to useand small enough to fit in a shirt pocket and in small gun and cartridgecarrying cases.

Present art provides the only device using the combined strength of botharms, and fingers and thumb of each hand to load cartridges into amagazine and is designed especially for both right handed and lefthanded use. To simplify the following operating instructions thedominant hand will be referred to as the right hand.

When using the present art to load cartridges in a magazine the fingersand thumb of the left hand are griping the device at one end using therounded indentations on each side of the device with fingers on one sideof the device and the thumb on the other side of the device providingmaximum strength to slide the device horizontally toward the open end ofa magazine and on the other end of the device the magazine is placedhorizontally on the sliding area with the open end of the magazinefacing one of the plungers. The palm of the right hand is placed againstthe back closed end of the magazine with the fingers and thumb of theright hand holding the magazine with fingers on one side of the magazineand the thumb on the other side of the magazine. The magazine and deviceare pushed toward each other using the strength of both arms, andfingers and thumb of each hand until the plunger is inside the magazine.

The said fingers on the right hand holding the magazine move from themagazine to the rounded indentations on the right side of the device andat the same time the thumb on the right hand holding the magazine movesto the rounded indentations on the left side of the device. The magazineand device remain in place because of the inward pressure of the fingersand thumb of the right hand in the rounded indentations and the locationof the palm of the right hand behind the closed end of the magazine arepreventing the magazine from moving.

The fingers and thumb of the left hand required to slide the devicetoward the magazine are now not needed to hold the device in positionallowing the thumb and one or two fingers of the left hand to insert onecartridge into the open end of the magazine before the fingers and thumbof the right hand release there grip on the device allowing the plungerto slide out of the magazine.

When the plunger is out of the magazine the top of the newly insertedcartridge remains slightly above the magazine and is pushed down intothe magazine with very little pressure using either hand or either thumbor any finger or a thumb and one or two fingers relieving thepossibility of injuring any one finger, thumb or hand.

It is therefore submitted that the present invention is substantiallydivergent in design elements and how it is used from prior art andconsequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for animprovement to magazine loaders. In this regard the present inventionsubstantially fulfills these needs.

The desired features and advantages of the present invention areapparent upon reviewing the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the overall view of the present invention for loadingcartridges into a magazine.

FIG. 2 is the overall view of the present invention with a magazine inthe ready position to be moved forward and loaded with a cartridge.

FIG. 3 is the overall view of the present invention with the plunger andcartridge in the open end of the magazine.

FIG. 4 is the overall view of the present invention with the magazineaway from the plunger after receiving a cartridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is the overall view of device 20 in the flat and horizontalloading position ready to accept one magazine 28 (magazine not shown) ata time.

Rounded indentations 21 on the two long sides of device 20 provide solidgripping surfaces for operator's fingers 33 and 35 and thumb 34 and 36of both hands 31 and 32 (operator's fingers and thumb of both hands notshown).

Plunger 22 and plunger 25 are different in size to accommodate the manyvariances in magazine 28 sizes, makes and models (magazines not shown).To further this ability the horizontal position of device 20 for loadingmagazine 28 (magazine not shown) provides an open uncovered top toaccommodate the many variances in magazine 28 sizes, makes and models(magazines not shown).

Sliding area 24 supports magazine 28 (magazine not shown) when plunger22 enters magazine 28 (magazine not shown) and sliding area 27 supportsmagazine 28 (magazine not shown) when plunger 25 enters magazine 28(magazine not shown).

Notch 23 at the end of plunger 22 and notch 26 at the end of plunger 25will contain each cartridge 29 (cartridge not shown) for properalignment.

FIG. 2 is the overall view of devise 20 in the flat and horizontalloading position with magazine 28 in the horizontal position on slidearea 27 ready to be pushed forward allowing plunger 25 to enter magazine28. Fingers 33 and thumb 34 on hand 31 are gripping device 20 at one endusing rounded indentations 21 on each side of device 20 with fingers 33on one side of device 20 and thumb 34 on the other side of device 20providing maximum strength to slide device 20 horizontally toward openend 30 of magazine 28 and on the other end of device 20 magazine 28 ison sliding area 27 with open end 30 of magazine 28 facing plunger 25.The palm (palm not shown) of hand 32 is placed against the back closedend 37 of magazine 28 with fingers 35 and thumb 36 on hand 32 holdingmagazine 28 with fingers 35 on one side of magazine 28 and thumb 36 onthe other side of magazine 28. Magazine 28 and device 20 are ready to bepushed toward each other using the strength of both arms (arms notshown) and fingers 33 and 35 and thumb 34 and 36 of each hand 31 and 32until plunger 25 is inside magazine 28.

FIG. 3 is the overall view of device 20 in the flat and horizontalloading position with plunger 25 inside magazine 28 and cartridge 29 inopening 30. Fingers 35 on hand 32 holding magazine 28 have moved frommagazine 28 to rounded indentations 21 on the side of device 20 and atthe same time thumb 36 on hand 32 holding magazine 28 moved to roundedindentations 21 on the other side of device 20. Magazine 28 and device20 remain in place because of the inward pressure of fingers 35 andthumb 36 of hand 32 in rounded indentations 21 and the location of thepalm (palm not shown) of hand 32 behind the closed end of magazine 28(closed end of magazine not shown) are preventing magazine 28 frommoving.

The fingers 33 and thumb 34 of hand 31 (fingers and thumb of hand notshown) required to slide device 20 toward magazine 28 are now not neededto hold device 20 in position allowing thumb 34 and one or two fingers33 of hand 31 to insert one cartridge 29 into open end 30 of magazine 28before fingers 35 and thumb 36 of hand 32 release their grip on device20 allowing plunger 25 to slide out of magazine 28.

FIG. 4 is the overall view of device 20 in the flat and horizontalloading position with magazine 28 moved away from plunger 25 after eachcartridge 29 is placed in open end 30 of magazine 28. The top ofcartridge 29 remains slightly above magazine 28 requiring cartridge 29to be moved down into magazine 28 by applying very little pressure usingeither hand 31 or 32 or either thumb 34 or 36 or any finger 33 or 35 ora thumb 34 or 36 or one or two fingers 33 or 35 before plunger 25 slidesinto magazine 28 again to receive the next cartridge 29 (hands, fingersand thumbs not shown). When using plunder 22 and sliding area 24 followthe same procedure as described for plunger 25.

In describing the device it is obvious that the present invention canhave physical modifications except for the two dominant featuresreferring to the horizontal position of the device for loading amagazine and having an open uncovered top to accommodate a verity ofmagazine sizes to be loaded can not be modified.

Invention claim is;
 1. A pistol magazine loader comprising: a one piecepistol magazine loader without any moving parts, sliding areas tosupport a pistol magazine in a horizontal position, rigid plungers toenter the pistol magazine allowing room for cartridges to be loaded, agripping surface on the two long sides of the pistol magazine loader forthe operator's fingers and thumbs.
 2. A pistol magazine loader of claim1 comprising: slide areas provide flat stable support for the operatorto slide a variety of single and double stack pistol magazineshorizontally until one of the stationary said rigid plungers is insidesaid pistol magazine providing sufficient space to allow a cartridge tobe placed in the open end of the pistol magazine and then the fingersand thumb holding the said pistol magazine moves to the roundedindentations on the said pistol magazine loader and at the same time thepalm of this hand behind the closed end of the said pistol magazineprevents the said pistol magazine from moving, the fingers and thumb ofthe other hand are now not needed to hold the said pistol magazineloader and are used to place a cartridge in the said pistol magazine. 3.A pistol magazine loader of claim 1 comprising: flat slide areas thatare uncovered to accommodate any height of single and double stackpistol magazines.
 4. A pistol magazine loader of claim 1 comprising:said rigid plungers with sufficient length, thickness and width with anotched end to enter the open end of pistol magazines for the purpose ofassisting in the loading of different makes and models of single anddouble stack pistol magazines with cartridge sizes of 0.380, 0.38,0.357, 9 mm, 10 mm, 0.40 and 0.45 calibers.
 5. A pistol magazine loaderof claim 1 comprising: gripping surface with a series of roundedindentations on the two long sides of said pistol magazine loader toaccommodate the contour of the fingers and thumb of both hands to assistthe operator in gripping the said pistol magazine loader and said pistolmagazine and the said indentations are arranged identically for rightand left hand use.